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Benchmarks for 2014-15

Posted on by Vaishali Rajan

With a belief that bench-marks are not created rather extended; we have been re-defining the way we work by setting up benchmarks for us by analysing various other sets of instances that are possibly existing around us. Similarly small yet efficient layers of study which focuses on external organisations that are working on similar terms and internally analysing other bhumi projects. An additional trial out in this year, would be an extension for the internet generation which takes the the advantage of facilities like video-calling environments to conduct a session facilitated across tough geographical terrains under “E-Lakshya” program which is under process and it can be an worthwhile expectation for all of us.

Herunmayee from Chennai Lakshaya Team Says,” In the past we had been methodically trying out a lot of things to cover the planned modules in sessions. Yet at a particular point when we stop by to analyse or try to understand what we have done; we don’t have a proper mechanism for that. When even new volunteers ask us about the procedures which we have done earlier through the session we don’t have something to show them. More important than that we don’t get to look back what have we done to the kids; this is very important because only this indicator helps us to refine our methodologies. On a personal note we would also clearly demarcate an objective for the project.Which i feel has not been so clearly put till date;as in the conflicts with the necessity and parts of mentoring that are handled by volunteers which would help prioritized efforts. So working on assessments this time by studying instances and organisations shall help us. As with my personal expectations we might expect a result oriented approach from the present teams and their plans and progress in 2014-15. “

Plans spanning 2014-15

Posted on by Vaishali Rajan

Just as history reminds you; the buzzword in Lakshya is always strategic planning; the word out in town is about “the style of pedagogy”, which is to design a learning classroom environment; apart from that various additions and procedures are to be tested this year. On board this year; ripples gets in to you a few perceptions from the brains behind on all possible charted plans for this academic year.

Srinivasan from Trichy Lakshya team says,” The aim this year is to benefit more children by extending the project in more centres this year. We are also about to start a workshop module in Deeksha home for the first time in Trichy. The mentoring will be started soon with the help of trained mentors; unlike last year. To improve internal volunteers’ coordination many activities are to be planned. Lakshya Inductions won’t go like seminar classes any more; instead it shall be more of a discussion session with interesting activities. As usual, Lakshyans are always ready to prepare the kids to appear in global competitions like DFC etc… Moreover the syllabus prescribed by the syllabus development team shall be followed. “

Mathpal from Chennai Lakshya Team says,” Unlike in the past; where we used to work on modules on just on a random run, now clear demarcations of modules and sub-module categorization by the syllabus development team will help us better the work in the forthcoming academic year. Since the categorization also has also incorporated the logical flow implicitly; I think this year shall be more efficient.”

Ground rules for 2014-15

Posted on by Vaishali Rajan

Ground Rules for Students

  • Be Punctual. All kids should be present by 10 A.M. {Might vary with centres}
  • Avoid Usage of foul language.
  • Avoid doing homework or studying during sessions.
  • Avoid shouting and creating chaos.
  • No kids should be physically harmed by other fellow kids
  • Inform the volunteers in case of your absence.
  • Avoid bringing unnecessary things to session unless informed by the volunteers

Ground Rules For Volunteers

During Sessions:

  • All respective volunteers should be at the centre by 9.30 AM {Might vary with centre}
  • Avoid usage of foul languages in sessions
  • Avoid using mobiles during sessions (In case of emergency use outside session area)
  • Avoid giving mobiles to kids
  • Dress appropriately for sessions (Avoid shorts and tracks)
  • Donot physically assault or touch which makes the kid uncomfortable.
  • The kids should always be in session area; in vicinity of all volunteers and kids.
  • Never shout or scold the kids; treat all kids equally.
  • Never share everything about oneself to kids {Maintain boundaries; especially personal problems and stuff}
  • Dont make promises that one cannot keep
  • must actively participate in activities to motivate kids to come forward.
    General Rules:
  • Prepare for every session and well in advance.
  • Inform the centre coordinator in case of absence
  • Never tag a kid
  •  Safety of kids is your prime importance.
  • do not entertain giving gifts or money to kids.{all gifts should be through centre coordinator.}
  • Do not visit centre apart from session timings. {If so, Inform the centre coordinators}
  • Do not bring persons not associated with bhumi to sessions
  • No activity (communication, jokes etc…) should be sexual in nature.
  • In case of any help or to make clarifications, centre coordinator is your point of contact.

Notable request for volunteers: Make sure the kids SMILE whenever they see you 😀

Job opening at UBIX SYSTEMS / LIVE IMPACT – Trivandrum

Job opening at UBIX SYSTEMS / LIVE IMPACT – Trivandrum

Posted on by Doc
Bhumi uses LIVE IMPACT platform for our volunteer management system
Profile
Ubix Systems (http://www.ubixsystems.com/) is a global software solutions and product development company dedicated to providing expert software development services to NGOs world wide. It is a Silicon Valley, USA based startup with offices in Trivandrum, India. We are currently building our product named LiveImpact (http://www.liveimpact.org/), specially designed for NGOs.
LiveImpacts real-time, social, cutting edge cloud service and mobile app platform is architected to be secure, reliable and scalable. LiveImpact is built on cutting edge research and development. With LiveImpact non-profits save time, increase efficiency and reduce overhead costs thereby creating an opportunity for further success and growth internally and externally. We are working with some of the larger non profits in India and abroad. These include Pratham, Bhumi, Crooked Trails, Foundation for Excellence, Maitri amongst others.
We at Ubix Systems are really inspired by the work we do and the social impact we make each day.  We are looking for Software Engineers and UI designers who are passionate about coding, making a social impact and working in a fast growing startup. In Ubix Systems you will have the opportunity to work with and learn from engineers who excel at what they do.
Job Info
Ubix Systems software engineers are building cutting edge products using the next-generation technologies that change how millions of people live, eat, educate and interact with each other. Our ambitions reach far beyond just Development. Our products need to handle information at a global Internet scale. We’re looking for candidates with expertise in web development, mobile app development, including large-scale system design, security, data compression, and user interface design; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you work on a small team and can switch teams and projects as our fast-paced business grows and evolves. We need our engineers to be versatile and passionate to tackle new problems as we continue to push technology forward.
Responsibilities
Architecture, design, and develop (hands-on) large-scale, complex infrastructure systems.
Use your technical influence to drive innovation and engineering standards/best practices across Engineering.
Minimum qualifications
  • BE/BTech, MCA/MSc in Computer Science or related technical field or equivalent practical experience.
  • 0-2 years of relevant work experience, including large systems software design and development, with knowledge of UNIX/Linux and programming experience in C, C++ and/or JavaScript.
  • Experience programming in C,C++, JavaScript, PhoneGap  and PHP
  • Solid foundation in computer science, with strong competencies in data structures, algorithms, and software design.
CONTACT US: [email protected]
Cloud Vidyashram: An internship opportunity

Cloud Vidyashram: An internship opportunity

Posted on by Vaishnavi Srinivasan

Logo

Khan Academy is a non-profit organisation that provides free world-class education for anyone, anywhere in the world through pre-recorded videos. They have an extensive library of more than 4,200 videos predominantly in Maths and Science.

These videos have transformed learning for thousands of students, mostly reaching to those  students who are comfortable in understanding English. What is preventing these videos from being accessible to a larger student population is localization – the language barrier.

Report Bee is partnering with AMM Foundation to launch Cloud Vidyashram, an educational initiative that envisions to provide “quality education that is free for all” using the available technology and knowledge in the public domain. The aim is to translate selected Khan Academy videos to tamil and offer it to schools in a format that can be easily consumed by students.

In order to make the project a success, a pilot phase is planned to be implemented in June. Three topics have been chosen based on the samacheer kalvi syllabus and videos from the khan academy have been mapped accordingly. The videos chosen have been translated in Tamil.

Project Implementation The project will be implemented in two schools that are fairly representative of the Tamil medium schools in the state. 1. Guindy corporation school – Government school (Tamil Medium) 2. SRM School – Private school run by AMM foundation (Tamil Medium)

Objectives The main goal of the pilot project is to ascertain, 1. The impact of the programme on the learning and the performance of the children over time 2. The difficulties in implementation and ground realities for which we can develop a contingency plan for the scaled up implementation

In order to implement the project successfully, we are on the lookout for interns. Time Period: June 20th – September 20th Roles and responsibilities of an Intern – Responsible for the successful running of one school – Expected to monitor the schools when the children are viewing the videos – Have the real time experience of collecting data and doing analysis – Collect feedback from teachers and children on the project – Initiate discussions with the lead and spell out his/her observations on the project Benefits 1. Certificate of appreciation from Padma Bhushan Mr. MV Subbiah from the Murugappa group of companies 2. Interactions with bureaucrats and policy makers 3. The infinite satisfaction of creating a better future for the future India and 4. Surprise goodies

Contact For more information you could reach, Ms. Sharanya Bharath | Ph: 09884364983 | M: [email protected]

Missing Lakshya

Missing Lakshya

Posted on by Vaishali Rajan

Vijayalakshmi:
Trichy is where my hearty is; its with the Lakshya kids. The children from MI (Mannavar Illam) always call me as “Akka”; a single word that can easily melt my heart and make me feel heavenly. The Bhumi volunteers , were not just my friends they were like family. Every time I travelled 30 kms to the city on Sundays, to meet the kids for sessions. I’ve never cared about the long travel or the time consumed, because the care and love from the children and my dear Bhumians were always on me. Time moved on smoothly; then came the day with a critical situation which being my job offer in Chennai. Even after,   missing all of them,  I just Hope for being reunited with my family soon.

Kavitha:
There was a magic that is taking a small break now, a time wherein everyweek had a sunday; planning for which, was the task for, rest of the week. It starts with calls to decide who is gonna do the GA this week; then a series of calls and msgs and what not… Then after a set of the initial iterated moves;  the sunday morning arrives with a long list of confirmations ; reschedules; changes; absentees; surprise visitors… all put in the session starts and sways like a spell. After that evening post meet galatta; then getting back home and having a confidante heavy feedback on what worked that week and what failed… All this is melted down by the summer.  And not to miss the beautiful messes we used to create in the package named meet… All this and most important the love of the volunteers who just stay put to lift my senses when im down… And the-not-so-important 45 Min calls.. I’m missing all of them because these days there are just topics to cover around 4-5 min … Waiting to get back in swing…

Inductions 2014

Inductions 2014

Posted on by Vaishali Rajan

Lakshya-The name of the group itself speaks volumes. I was introduced to Bhumi by my friend Nithya who has been volunteering for a year now. I believe your personality gives you confidence, individuality and it is a true reflection on what you are. Lakshya aims at moulding the personality of mentees (Kids) and also shape the personality of the volunteers (mentors). The reason I choose Lakshya was to create this impact in a Child’s life in a positive way.

The induction programme organised by existing Lakshya volunteers was well thought out and planned. One could see that it was not a one man show. All the existing members had a part to play. They were heart warming and very receptive to the new volunteers and included us in the group instantly making us feel totally comfortable.
The induction programme was absolute fun; from the self introduction where the newbies had to write their names in the air to the more serious activity of matching modules with sub modules was very interesting. The presentation gave us a clear idea about what the over arching objective of Lakshya is and the annual plan that has been scheduled. The mentor training programme that will be organised is an excellent move by Lakshya to ensure that volunteers turn out to be effective mentors. The induction gave us an idea that through Lakshya you can do serious work in a fun loving way; that together as one we will not only do our bit but also enjoy the journey.

I’m really excited about the being a part of Lakshya and hoping we all have fantastic year ahead. Cheers!
-Tejaswini

Lakshya !
Lakshya means goal.
We lakshyans were hoping for new enthusiastic people to join us.
During orientation, many volunteers came forward with novel ideas. Its unfair to mention names. It was always an team effort which made our orientations successful.

We had a serious challenge during induction. Then again, our team took it up with ease and we were successful in delivering the right content and the new volunteers easily picked our thoughts.
A special mention has to be given for the new volunteers. We were very happy to see such a happy group around us during induction. The success of induction was totally because of the new volunteers.
We lakshyans should keep up the team spirit, and
We welcome the new volunteers and hoping them to enjoy their volunteering experience.
–         Mathpal